ST. LOUIS – There were 12 confirmed car break-ins in south St. Louis early Saturday morning. The incidents happened on Reber Place.
The residents in the Southwest Garden neighborhood, just on the outskirts of The Hill, say crime in their neighborhood is taking a turn for the worse.
“With the police force and downsizing and everything the crime has increased. We’ve had shootings around here,” said Dan Ehrenreich.
Police have confirmed at least 12 vehicles were broken into early Saturday morning. Surveillance video shows a man breaking into cars as another vehicle follows him up and down the street as they steal items.
“Windows were broken in on our driver’s side, a lot of things were ransacked and stolen,” said Ehrenreich.
“They’re looking for quick, handheld items that can be sold quick on the street,” said Lesley LaFleier.
Lesley La Fleier has been living on Reber since 1995.
“When I first moved here it was a really calm, peaceful, which on most days it still is, but today it was not,” said LaFleier.
She was one of the 12 victims whose cars were broken into on Saturday.
“It’s sad when you’ve lived here as long as I have and you see this new era of vandalism coming into different neighborhoods,” said LaFleier.
Residents say if city officials don’t get more police officers patrolling the area, things are bound to get worse, especially as people begin to protect their property by any means.